By Ginny Branam Lee
Stephanie Ferrell, a photographer and U.S. Army Reserves veteran, established the U. S. Women Veterans Advocacy Initiative, Inc.—a project targeted at reaching out and providing support to women veterans across the country struggling with balancing work and family, education and employment—in 2018. As the initiative continues to grow and progress, Ferrell often reflects on the journey that led her to this worthwhile cause—one filled with creativity and adventure.
Setting the Stage
Ferrell found the love of her in life at the very young age of 10, but it wasn’t with a boy. She fell in love with her very first camera. Ferrell loved the art of taking photographs, seeing life frozen in time and creating keepsakes that last a lifetime. This love led to a love of all the arts. She performed in the high school choir and community theater and won awards in speech, prose, poetry and forensic and general photography. Her wealth of creative experience led her to become a professional model to pay her way through college.
After receiving both associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in education, the aspiring model surprised everyone with a new look—fatigues and combat boots. She completed basic training and advanced individual training as an administrative specialist in the U.S. Army Reserves and moved to New York City in 1986.
While she dreamed of furthering her modeling career and even received a partial scholarship to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Ferrell instead turned her creativity toward a career in journalism. In 1990, she enrolled in classes for investigative and financial journalism at the New School for Social Research in New York.
She was hired by the Dow Jones News Service as a news journalist where she wrote for the news service and subsidiaries like The Wall Street Journal. While she excelled as a new reporter, Ferrell was also committed to her career in the U.S. Army Reserves.
She applied to the Officer Candidate School, where she graduated from the 10th Mountain Division’s Empire Military Academy in Peekskill, NY, as a commissioned officer in 18 months. Second Lt. Ferrell continued her fast-paced career in journalism for a few more years while maintaining her military training.
Finding Her Purpose
Ferrell moved from New York to Florida to North Carolina—where she was named commander of the 312th Adjutant General Postal Company—and finally back to her home state of West Virginia. She began to volunteer with several nonprofit organizations, including one whose sole purpose was to end veteran homelessness. This volunteer position and the things she learned from it touched her deeply, compelling her to act to help combat the rise in veteran homelessness—particularly in female veterans. What once had been a tiny spark became a burning desire to establish a national voice for female veterans, past and present. By sheer circumstance, she had found her divine purpose.
Creating a Change
After months of research, Ferrell established a Facebook page called the U.S. Women Veterans Advocacy Initiative, her first step on the road to creating a nonprofit by the same name. In three months, the Facebook page grew from a mere 150 members to well over 700 members.
Ferrell quickly put together a board of directors and advisory panel and began preliminary planning for the first annual U.S. Woman Veterans Advocacy Initiative retreat, which is scheduled for June 2019 in Savannah, GA. She has obtained an Internal Revenue Identification Number and completed the Articles of Incorporation and bylaws.
In West Virginia, where the rate of military service is the highest in the nation per capita, the initiative’s mission—”To be a voice, resource and connection for all women veterans who have served, or are serving, in any branch of the U.S. military concerning benefits, education, employment, networking and quality of life”—is of particular importance.
Moving Forward
Until final approval for nonprofit status has been received, fundraising for the initiative is temporarily on hold. Despite the lack of funding, Ferrell and her team have established three advocates across the nation, with an army of volunteer veteran advocates ready to be trained and hit the road running. Advocacy initiatives include a buddy sister program that provides a sister veteran who can attend appointments with a veteran in order to help alleviate fear and anxiety; clothing drives; resume and job training; assistance with claims for veteran disability; and numerous other issues facing female veterans and active duty women.
“We do not accept no for an answer, and failure is not in our organization’s dictionary of terms,” says Ferrell. “There is no greater satisfaction than seeing someone in need, especially a fellow veteran sister, and having her needs, desires and dreams satisfied.”
Ferrell has surrounded herself with an amazing team and support system, including Vice President of Advocacy Jennifer Cruey and Executive Vice President Jennifer Overby.
“When Stephanie approached me with the idea of a nonprofit, she and I found we had the same dream for our women in uniform,” says Cruey. “Her passion was echoing and profound.”
While leadership patiently waits to be recognized as a nonprofit, the team is not letting the setback dampen its spirits.
“The brick walls aren’t to keep us out,” says Overby. “The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Stephanie is creating a legacy. I am proud to be serving with this nonprofit with all of these wonderful veteran women and learning from the most incredible women I have met. I am in awe, and I am inspired.”
About the Author
Ginny Branam Lee AAS, BBM, MSN, MBA, MHCM, RN-RETIRED is a veteran of the U.S. Army and registered nurse. She holds a variety of bachelor’s and master’s degrees and has been published in scholarly journals and a resource book for attorneys titled “Malpractice in Nursing.” Lee has worked as a legal nurse consultant and life care planner, but her ultimate loves are advocating for veterans and writing.
